8 Tips to shop for vintage clothing

Nidhi SinhaSep 17 2011

Vintage is perpetual. The more vintage a cloth becomes, the greater its value ascends. With endless possibilities offered and available in vintage, a focused approach can truly help you make interesting yet challenging decisions. If you are planning to shop for some vintage outfits, there are certain essentials that need to be followed. Here are some tips to help you add a diversified vintage collection in your wardrobe.

Tips to shop for vintage clothing
Tips to shop for vintage clothing

1. Size matters

Whatever dress you wear, it’s all about slipping comfortably in. Apt measurements of your waist line and bust size might help you unfold the secrets of your perfect fitting. Don’t try too hard if you are not fitting in, for any applied strains to your vintage dress will barely go unnoticed. If buying online, carefully check the measurement listed. Since the clothing are usually cut keeping the general standards in mind, there remains almost negligible ratio of getting a perfectly fitted vintage cloth. Therefore, choose the dress with your nearest possible measurement and have it tailored later, else you always have the option of trying the clothes on, when buying in person.

2. Buy from a reputable dealer

Whilst you might not give a damn when buying regular trendy clothes from the streets estate sales or flea markets. But when it comes to vintage clothes, purchasing from the best dealer only will redeem you utter disappointment. No matter how extensive your research goes, only the reputable labels know the specifics about the style of certain era and it sure will provide you with coveted vintage outfit.

3. Get the details

Do your research on vintage styles. The best source would be your parents and relatives, who are actually the live witnesses of the style of those eras. However, if planning to go long back in time, say pre1860s then find all fashion details associated to those years online. Seek out reputable dealers of your city and reach them. You might even get the luxury of studying clothing under their supervision and asking your queries. Online or live auctions also make some better option to get acquainted with fashion details of particular timeline.

4. Have it wardrobed

As easy it is to splurge on to myriad clothing styles, maintaining its elegance are equally challenging. Whatever clothes you buy, proper maintenance is required to keep it anew. Frequently clean and rearrange your wardrobe and ensure that every heavy and old dress is stored in an acid free paper drawer along with a few balls of washed cotton. Avoid using scented padded hangers for hanging your dress. Whenever your wear any clothes on, clean and wash them before putting them back to your closet. Remember, vintage clothes are still in vogue and their craze is certainly not about to perish in more coming years.

5. Don’t be a miser

Now that the dealer has done all for you i.e. from the research to the cleaning and steaming of the outfit, pay him fair and don’t give second thoughts about it. They might not be cheaper as thrifts or flea markets, but they certainly do promise an assured result and greater value.

6. The textiles and the fabrics

Always look for textiles and fabrics that are still in good repair and don’t demand huge mending and repairing. Make sure the garment is not heavily worn are smells clean and good. The condition of the garment should not gnarled and mucked up. If your hands get on to any rare piece with mint fragrance (it's elusively challenging to discover such piece), get ready to pay for its rarity.

7. Color it up

Versatility and diversification is the key to make the most out of your vintage shopping experience. Rather than choosing expected black and cream color garments, look for printed outfits such as polka dots or leopard prints or even 1940s novelty prints. Finally, coming to fabrics and textiles, linen, wool, silk and cotton fabrics work beautifully on any garment. Though rayon nylon and other artificial fibers too hold their color over a long period of time.

8. In the long run

Vintage clothes are already vintage, so undoubtedly their fabrics would be fairly damaged. Consequently, choose the garments that are sturdy enough to survive the average use. Ditch the frails and the irreparable that are barely wearable. If you are not going to wear and have simply bought it for your collection, fabrics hardly matter but be sure to purchase extra-small mannequins as they will work for far more.

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